Greenbluff

I had a fabulous time Saturday! Lauren Frerichs and I headed to Greenbluff to see what fruit was in season that we could pick. Greenbluff is an area in Spokane that is full of family owned farms and you can go pick whatever fruit is in season. Twenty pounds of peaches later, some rhubarb, a zucchini, and blueberries, blackberries and raspberries we decided that was enough for one day. My new job in Spokane doesn't start for another week so I have been feeling the domestic bug. Baked a peach crisp yesterday followed by a peach cobbler with Lauren. I think I might take up canning. It sounds like such a big step but I think I would like to learn. If anyone has any tips I am all ears! I learned how to blanch peaches the other day though. 30 seconds in boiling water and the peels just fall off! Who knew?! Today I am taking on zucchini bread since that is the only way I like zucchini. Tomorrow is rhubarb pie... homemade pie crust, here I come! We also had a baby shower for Rebecca last week with friends from camp. Stephen is working on the baby room today so soon the house will be ready for the doubling of their family! Oh, Lauren and I named the zucchini I am holding Awesome and Laserhawk. For those who don't know, that is what the twins are called until they make their appearance. Who knows? Maybe the names will stick...

Yes, I made it home...

For those of you still wondering if I am still in London, no, I have made it home. Been home from South Africa now for a few weeks. At the moment I am living in Coeur d'Alene with Rebecca. Just got my bed set up the other day and I am still unpacking. It's so good to be out there. Rebecca looks great and the babies are still cooking and getting ready to make their appearance in the next seven or so weeks. I got a traveling nursing job at a hospital in Spokane and will be starting there on the 9th of September. I just wanted to post a few pics of highlights from my trip on here so you may all see some of my adventures! The one of me holding the bucket is me drinking the tribal beer. The next is at the wedding with Mampho and Henry. The picture that I made too big because I am not good on computers is me at Cape Point, the southern most point of Africa. Can you guess which on is of me with the Rastafarians? And of me walking the elephant? And of a lion...well there are a few pics to get you all started. I'll put more on as I can. I can't download or upload at camp so I have to come to coffee shops to do it. It gets me out though...

Waiting in London

Goodbye South Africa! I am now on my way home. Finished the first leg of my trip without any medical issues on board so that was a great start. I have a five hour layover here in London. Someday I'll have to make it out of this airport to see this city. I've been here to the airport enough times...

The last day in SA was great! The Macdonalds set up a wine tour for me which was amazing. The only other people on the tour were a family of four from Texas. Visited four vineyards and tasted some great wines. When you go wine tasting here they are more generous with their samples than in the states...Such beautiful country too. It was in Stellenbosch, for those who know Cape Town. I spent the night then in a Guesthouse, a Bed and Breakfast. BEAUTIFUL room. It was quite the way to end my time in South Africa, that's for sure.

I'll be home later this afternoon and spend a few days with Noah and Amy and Scout. My amazing nephew turns one next week but all the festivities are this weekend and then Sunday I'll head to Coeur d' Alene to Lutherhaven to see my ever growing family over there. Hoping to pick up a traveling job over there too for a few months. Thank you all for your prayers while I've been traveling. It was really a great trip and I'll show you all pics as I see you!

Amazing Safari!!!

I am back in Cape Town staying with the Simonne's family. Super great place to be. They are so welcoming and hospitable. Tomorrow I'll take a wine tour in Stellenbosh, stay at a B&B and then fly home on Tuesday! I won't get home until Wednesday though. 24 hours later...

So, about four days ago I flew to Nelsprit and took a two day, two night safari in Kruger. There really are not words to describe how incredible it was! Really. I felt so blessed to have had such a super group on my safari. Most were from Germany. It was a pretty small group which made it nice too. Being there for only two days I was a little nervous that I wouldn't see the Big 5, or much of anything because the park is so big and they can't promise that you will even see anything. Within five minutes of being in the park I saw two rhinos and I knew that was a good start. It just got better from there. The first day I think I saw it all, or about all that I had much luck of seeing. Tons of elephants. The first giraffe I saw was just incredible. It was right at the road eating. All day I felt like such a kid because when I would see something new I would gasp. Not on purpose. I couldn't help it! To see these animals in their natural environment was amazing! Hippos, crocodiles, LIONS, tons of crazy birds, hundreds of impalas, kudus, waterbucks, a monitor, monkeys, baboons, zebras, babies to many of these...so many more that I can't write about right now...OH, and the best: a leopard!!! My guide only sees one or two a month and to be able to see a leopard and to tell people you saw a leopard is very rare. Such a beautiful animal! We got pretty close to it too.

One quick story I will share: we found two lions, a male and female, and we were sitting watching them and watching this group of impalas that were grazing close by. It was funny because the impalas knew the lions were there but a few of them stood watch while the others ate. We were watching all this when I looked behind our jeep and there was a herd of about 15 elephants crossing the road. We turned the jeep around to get a closer look at the elephants. They started making their way up to where the lions and impalas were so we went back up there. Because there were about ten cars watching all this, the elephants couldn't cross the road when they saw the lions and you could tell they were starting to feel threatened. The lions stood up and one of the biggest elephants threw back his ears and all at once all the elephants just charged the lions and chased them into the bush! It was really an incredible sight to see. Who's the king of the jungle now???

So many more great stories from this time. Such beautiful landscape and sunrises and sunsets. Great food and wine and just time to sit around and talk. It really was one of my highlights of being here. I loved every minute of it.

On our way back to Nelsprit we visited the Blyde River Canyon. Yet another super beautiful place to visit in South Africa when you all make it here. I can't wait so show pictures when I get home!

The Start of My Day

So my morning started off like all others, except that I got up and took an elephant for a walk. Really. I SO played tourist this morning and went to this elephant sanctuary and took a 13 year old female elephant for a walk. I got to feed her sweet potatoes too. I really laughed the whole time because I couldn't believe how cheesy this was. I'm in Africa, paying to walk an elephant through the woods. I really did enjoy it though, cheese and all.

I am staying at THE most amazing backpackers ever. I'm in Nature's Valley staying at the Wild Tongue backpackers. This place is in the middle of nowhere. It's on a farm on top of this hill where you can see forever. Tons of hiking trails, which I got lost on one this afternoon and got a little freaked for a bit but found my way out. The kitchen seems like it's in a tree house. Under one of the stoves it is open to the ground and the barbecue, or braii, pit is in this cove surrounded by driftwood. Tons of artwork and great lights. There's even a fire inside so last night I got a bit of warmth. Why do South African's not have heat??? That has been my biggest question here! I keep thinking I am in Fraggle Rock at this place. It's its own little world. Met a great young German couple too that I've been able to hang with a bit.

Someone just told me I need to talk more on here about myself, thanks Miklosh! I'm good. Been reading a lot which isn't like me at all. I've read the autobiography of Nelson Mandella, the abridged version, and Eat, Pray, Love-great book for anyone looking for something to read. Just started on The Shack this morning. Heard great things about it. It's been good having time to read and just be. I am looking forward to coming home and celebrating Scouts first birthday though! Then over to Idaho to take care of Rebecca and her ever expanding belly. South Africa isn't much of what I expected. It's been great and I really love it here, don't get me wrong, but maybe it's that I'm really learning, as I feel God has been trying to teach me the past couple years, that it's good to have people in your life. Travelling is great and I love everywhere that I have been and I really look forward to doing more, but hopefully with someone and with friends more (like South America in December!!!). Someday...

Well I'll work on more personal things, but for now the sun is going down which means I need to put on about four more layers of clothes! Until next time...

Rastas, Monkeys and Crocodile Salad

I am now in Knysna, about 40 minutes from Wilderness, my last stop. I'm staying at this backpackers that my not be the cleanest but they offer lots to do and it's not very crowded so I actually have a room to myself which is really nice. Yesterday I took a tour of the townships here and we visited a traditional healer and a Rastafarian community. The healer was interesting because she doesn't just focus on spells and chants and herbs, but if you come to her sick, she'll take a look at the conditions you live in and if you are living in a pit, she'll tell you that the reason you are sick is because of the conditions you live in and you'll get better when you stop living like a pig. That was really encouraging for me to see. The most interesting thing of the day though, was the Rastafarians. Wow. It really was like in the movies. Ire this, rasta that. Green red and gold everywhere, and the weed. Yes, the weed was abundant. There was a celebration going on so everyone was all geared up for that. For those of you wondering, no, I did not partake in smoking weed. It is still illegal here. They really are a great group though. Oh, and the dread locks were like none I have seen before. Everyone has them. "Let your locks flow free" is what they would say.
Today I went kayaking down a river here in Knysna. Such a relaxing morning! There was one area that had a bunch of monkeys playing on the shore and in the trees. Tons of birds and fish. I was hoping to see a baboon but no such luck. We could hear them but never saw them. So much of the river reminded me of the river up to Shoshone. Really beautiful! I was the only one on the tour so it was even more relaxing. Yesterday with the township tour there was a large group of students from New York who are also staying at the same backpackers who went on the tour. They are a nice bunch, but young. I had lunch today with one of their leaders. I went to a South African restaurant and she walked in. So nice to eat with someone else! I had a crocodile sald. Tough meat, but it was good. Tomorrow I'll head a little further up the coast. You should hear from me again there!

Flying solo

Just started the first leg of my solo part of my trip. I'm in Wilderness at Fairy Knowes backpackers. The baz bus works great for anyone traveling to South Africa. Cute backpackers. Back in the woods. Nice walk to town, I think. Haven't done it yet but it looks like that is going to be my excitement for the night.
Mampho and Henry got married!!! Beautiful wedding. Still can't get pictures on here yet but I'll keep trying. Mampho looked amazing. The reception was in Stellenbosch at a vineyard. Really beautiful. So Sarah, me, the only white person in the wedding party, can't dance. Enough said. After the wedding I left with Katherine and Lauren, Mercy Ships friends, and stayed with Katherine for the past few days. She did a great job showing me around Cape Town. We went out to Cape Point, the southern most tip of Africa where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Absolutely beautiful! The clouds parted and made for a really nice day. Oh, on the way home we stopped at this beach that was full of penguines! You could walk right up to them. They stunk, but they were great! Yesterday we tried going up Table Mountain but the cloud cover was too great and they closed the cable car. Bummer. Maybe when I get back to Cape Town. Visited the botanical gardens and the waterfront instead.
So, yes, I am still alive. Tomorrow I head to Knysna for a couple days. Hopefully I'll have better stories then...